vesta
/ˈvɛstə/
noun
- A short wooden match, especially one that can be struck on any rough surface.
- She struck a vesta against the wall and it flared to life.
- He lit the campfire with a single vesta from the box.
- The old tin held a collection of vestas for lighting the stove.
- The Roman goddess of the hearth, home, and family.
- The temple of Vesta housed a sacred flame that was never allowed to go out.
- In ancient Rome, people prayed to Vesta for protection of their homes.
- Vesta was honored during the festival of Vestalia each June.
- The second-largest asteroid in the solar system, discovered in 1807.
- Vesta is one of the brightest asteroids visible from Earth.
- The NASA spacecraft Dawn orbited the asteroid Vesta for over a year.
- Scientists believe Vesta has a layered structure similar to Earth's.
Synonyms